Best Natural Bodybuilders – 21 Natty Lifters You Need To Know About

If you made a list of the best and most popular bodybuilders in the world, chances are none of them would be natural athletes. Furthermore, things don’t appear to be changing anytime soon. 

Aesthetics and the freak factor are the reasons why the sport of bodybuilding initially gained traction. Athletes have since turned to the syringe to take things to the next level and test the human body’s limit.  

If Adam and Eve were lifters, steroids would be the forbidden fruit. The introduction of gear into strength sports opened up Pandora’s box, creating a giant wave of excitement and uncertainty across sports.

To be fair, bodybuilding is not the only sport with rampant steroid use. Elite athletes in every major sport, including weightlifting, tennis, cycling, football, running, boxing, wrestling, and golf, have been caught using gear. 

However, the IFBB Pro League, the premiere professional bodybuilding organization, is one of the few pro sporting institutions that does not test its athletes for steroids. Although the IFBB Pro League cannot understandingly introduce doping tests, the unregulated gear use has tuned pro bodybuilding into one of the most dangerous sports. 

The negative media around steroids have led to a rise in natural bodybuilding’s popularity. In this article, we dig deep into tested bodybuilding, including the best natural bodybuilders of all time, the difference between natural and enhanced bodybuilding, the best natural bodybuilding organizations, and the pros and cons of natural bodybuilding. You’ll also learn to spot a steroid user and find out if you can become a pro bodybuilder without steroids.

10 Best Natural Bodybuilders

Confirming if a bodybuilder is a natty without regular doping tests and governing body oversight is tough. Furthermore, it is even more difficult in the case of social media celebrities that claim a lifelong natty status but would never take a doping test.

This list features bodybuilders that compete in drug-tested bodybuilding federations, have never failed a drug test, and have shown linear and acceptable muscle growth.

• Paul Krueger
• Brandon Lirio
• Meshack Ochieng
• Derek Joe
• Ron Williams
• John Hansen
• Komang Arnawa
• Philip Ricardo Jr.
• Kiyoshi Moody
• Rob Terry

Paul Krueger

Paul Krueger shook the bodybuilding world by winning the 2021 Natural Olympia just weeks after earning his Pro card. He has become a force to be reckoned with in the industry after winning a pro bodybuilding competition on his debut. 

Do not let the first few sentences fool you, though. Paul Krueger was an amateur bodybuilder for 25 years before earning his pro card. His second-most-recent show was the 2021 INBF Phoenician Classic, where he jumped on stage after a 16-year hiatus. 

Apart from competing in natural bodybuilding competitions, Krueger is a lifestyle and prep coach and has a YouTube channel where he teaches natural ways to transform your physique. 

Check Out: Top 8 Must-Follow Male Fitness Models on Instagram

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Brandon Lirio

Brandon Lirio is a 3X Mr. Natural Olympia and 2X Mr. Universe champion. He is also a PNBA Pro Hall of Famer. Brandon started lifting to fight his anxiety disorder after he joined the military in 2006. 

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Meshack Ochieng

Meshack Ochieng Stats

• Height: 5′2″ (157 cm)
• Weight: 170 – 185 lbs

One could easily mistake Meshack Ochieng for an athlete on juice. No wonder he is nicknamed “The Natural Ronnie Coleman.” 

He was born in Kenya and started training in his backyard with some stone dumbbells and barbells. He started competing soon after and won every contest he participated in. 

One could easily mistake Meshack Ochieng for an athlete on juice. No wonder he is nicknamed “The Natural Ronnie Coleman.” 

He was born in Kenya and started training in his backyard with some stone dumbbells and barbells. He started competing soon after and won every contest he participated in. 

Meshack competes in both INBA and NANBF (100% natty federations). These federations are very strict about steroid use. They conduct tests randomly to catch anyone suspicious.

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Derek Joe

Despite being a fresher, Derek Joe won the 2021 Natural Olympia Men’s Classic Physique Open. He competed in his first-ever amateur bodybuilding event in 2020 at the Grand Canyon Classic. 

Although Derek got second place, it was discouraging for him, and he almost gave up on competing in bodybuilding. If it wasn’t for the encouragement from his friends, family, and other pro athletes, Derek would have never competed in the 2021 Natural Olympia. 

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Ron Williams

Ron Williams Stats

• Height: 5′11″ (180 cm)
• Weight: 195 – 200 lbs

Ron Williams is one of the most decorated natural bodybuilders in history. He has won 250 natural bodybuilding competitions, including Mr. Natural World, Mr. Natural Olympia, and Mr. Natural Universe.

Ron Williams is one of the most decorated natural bodybuilders in history. He has won 250 natural bodybuilding competitions, including Mr. Natural World, Mr. Natural Olympia, and Mr. Natural Universe.

Here is a list of some of his titles:

• 7-time Mr. Natural Olympia
• 7-time Mr. Natural Universe
• 7-time Natural World
• Hall of Fame Inductee (2008) — International Natural Bodybuilding Association

Enough to put him in the top 2 of the best natural bodybuilder list? We guess so. 

Ron has built several successful carriers since retiring from bodybuilding. He is a leading life and fitness coach, an expert in physiology, diet and nutrition, and fat loss, and a pastor of a non-denominational Christian church in Salt Lake City, Utah.

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John Hansen

John Hansen Stats

• Height: 5′8″ (172.7 cm)
• Weight: 225 pounds

Hansen is among the most popular natural bodybuilders of all time. To this day, he appears on several bodybuilding podcasts with IFBB Pro League bodybuilders and 1983 Mr. Olympia winner Samir Bannout. 

Hansen won the inaugural Natural Olympia in 1998 and the Natural Universe title thrice, setting the standards for other natural bodybuilders. His full and round muscle bellies and perfect proportions helped him conquer every competition he entered. 

He writes for several bodybuilding publications and published his book Natural Bodybuilding in 2005, where he preaches building muscle mass while staying natty. Besides drug-tested bodybuilding federations, Hansen is one of the most respected voices in the IFBB Pro League.

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Komang Arnawa

Arnawa is one of those bodybuilders that compels you to do a double-take. He is the second bodybuilder of Asian descent to win the Natural Mr. Olympia title, after Danny Chau, who earned the bragging rights in 2004. Arnawa won his last six competitions and became one of the youngest-ever Pro World Champions.

The Balinese bodybuilder is popular for his incredible size, symmetry, muscle fullness, and conditioning. Although Arnawa won the Natural Mr. Olympia title in 2005, he is still in incredible shape and could give many competitive bodybuilders a run for their money.

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Philip Ricardo Jr.

Philip Ricardo Jr. Stats

• Height: 5′9″ (175.26 cm)
• Weight: 180 pounds

Ricardo Jr. is a four-time Natural Olympia champion, winning the title in 2007, 2008, 2015, and 2019. By winning the Natural Olympia title after a six-year gap, he proved that natural bodybuilders have much better longevity than their enhanced counterparts. Winning the Mr. Olympia title six years after losing it is beyond imagination for bodybuilders competing in the IFBB Pro League. 

Rocardo Jr. created history by becoming the first bodybuilder to win back the Natural Olympia title after surrendering it. He started his competitive bodybuilding journey after joining the Marine Corps.

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Kiyoshi Moody 

Kiyoshi Moody Stats

• Height: 5′9″ (175.26 cm)
• Weight: 205–220 pounds

Moody is the most dominant Natural Olympia champion of all time. He won the coveted title for six consecutive years, from 2009 to 2014. He was inducted into the PNBA Hall of Fame in the class of 2013. 

It’s easy to mistake Moody for a juiced-up bodybuilder. However, the fact that he has ruled the natural bodybuilding roster for six years while undergoing multiple drug tests every year proves that he has some of the best genetics in the game.

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Rob Terry

Rob Terry Stats

• Height: 6′5″ (195.5 cm)
• Weight: 300 pounds

Terry is a two-time Natural Olympia champion, winning the coveted title in 2017 and 2018. Before turning to professional bodybuilding, the Welshman was a professional wrestler and appeared in the WWE and Impact. He switched to pro bodybuilding after getting fascinated by the physiques of 80’s action movie stars, WWF Wrestlers, and British Gladiators. 

Notably, Terry had his kidney removed at the age of eight because of hydronephrosis. The 6-foot-5 bodybuilder is one of the largest and most successful natural bodybuilders of all time. He weighed a monstrous 300 pounds at the peak of his bodybuilding career.

Even though these bodybuilders compete in drug-tested bodybuilding federations, it is no guarantee that they have never taken steroids. Most natural bodybuilding federations require bodybuilders to be clean of steroids for the last 10 years. 

That said, even the Olympics allows athletes to compete in the Games if they have passed the requisite doping tests, irrespective of their past drug use. Considering this, we should not be so harsh on the bodybuilders. In my humble opinion, if a bodybuilder passes the stringent and regular drug tests of the natural bodybuilding federations, we should have no problem calling them ‘natural bodybuilders.’

Related:

• Chris Bumstead Gives Advice On Starting Steroids: ‘The Answer Is Already No’
• Video: Calum Von Moger Shares His Experience With Using Steroids

4 Popular Bodybuilders That Claim To Be Natural

Let’s address the elephant in the room — bodybuilders that assert their natural status, but their claims are often met with skepticism and disputed by bodybuilding enthusiasts.

Although many bodybuilders have started going public about their steroid use, some still want to hold onto their natty status. Many bodybuilders and social media celebrities claim to be natties but avoid doping tests like the plague. 

Nonetheless, most of their followers are convinced that they do not use gear and that their superhero-like physiques are the result of their Greek god genetics, hard work, and discipline. Since these bodybuilders have never failed a drug test, we must give them the benefit of the doubt. 

Here are some popular bodybuilders that claim to be natural. Their linear physique progress,  absence of discernible signs of steroid usage, and overall physique aesthetics earn them a spot on this list.

Donte Franklin

Donte Franklin Stats

• Height: 6ft (183 cm)
• Weight: 220-230 pounds

Donte Franklin is a genetic freak. He manages to grow and improve his physique every year – a characteristic otherwise associated with an athlete on roids. 

Franklin isn’t about the gear life. He preaches working hard inside the iron paradise. Some experts even consider him one of the biggest and best natural bodybuilders of our time.

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Mike Thurston

Mike Thurston Stats

• Height: 6ft (183 cm)
• Weight: 205-215 pounds

If I had to take a wild guess, I would say Mike Thurston is the athlete with the highest number of female followers on the best natural bodybuilders list. He is the kind of guy you find on the cover of magazines and TV shows. Thurston claims to be a lifelong natty bodybuilder. 

The fitness sensation played numerous sports during high school, like rugby, football, and cricket, and was part of many athletics teams. By the time Mike joined college, he was fully committed to realizing his ambition and left rugby to focus on bodybuilding.

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Jeff Rodriguez

Jeff Rodriguez Stats

• Height: 5′9″ (175 cm)
• Weight: 185 – 195 lbs

Jeff Rodriguez is regarded as the Frank Zane of natural bodybuilding. His muscle symmetry, size, and definition are bang on the money. Although he started training at an early age, it wasn’t until college that he started taking bodybuilding more seriously. 

Rodriguez’s muscle symmetry, size, and definition are bang on the money. Although he started training at an early age, it wasn’t until college that he started taking bodybuilding more seriously. 

Jeff smashed the competition out of the water in his very first show. He competed in many shows in the following years and usually placed on the podium. 

Next Read: Mike O’ Hearn Joins Legendary Bodybuilder Frank Zane For A Golden-Era Workout Session

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Mike O’Hearn

• Height: 6′3″ (190 cm)
• Weight: 245-255 pounds
• Chest: 46 inches
• Waist: 34 inches
• Biceps: 21 inches

We saved the best (and most controversial) for last. Most fitness junkies regard Mike O’Hearn as the best natural bodybuilder of all time. Mike has been around for decades and is still going strong.

There are hundreds of articles on the internet contemplating if he is natty or not, but no one has ever been able to prove his steroid use. O’Hearn is a four-time INBA Mr. Natural Universe champion. Also, the fact that O’Hearn has never flunked a drug test works in his favor.

Related: Mike O’Hearn Reveals His Secrets To Longevity At 52 Years Old

7 Best Old-School Natural Bodybuilders

There are two ways to confirm a bodybuilder’s natty status. First, stringent and regular doping tests. Second, you could rewind to the pre-steroids era.

Anabolic steroids were developed in 1935 by a German scientist, Adolf Butenandt. But they only gained traction in the 1950s when the Soviet athletes started using them to improve their powerlifting performance. 

Here are the bodybuilders that hit their peak before 1950:

Eugen Sandow

Eugen Sandow Stats

• Height: 5’9” (175 cm) 
• Weight: 185-195 pounds
• Chest: 48” 
• Waist: 30”
• Biceps: 18”

Friedrich Muller, popularly known as Eugen Sandow, was born in 1867 in Prussia (now known as Kaliningrad, Russia). The “Father of Modern Bodybuilding” traveled the world to promote strength sports before world tours were a thing. The coveted Mr. Olympia trophy, awarded to the best bodybuilder in the world, is a statue of Sandow. 

Sandow also organized the first physique contest called “The Great Competition” in London’s Royal Albert Hall. Notably, Sandow was appointed the ‘Professor of Scientific and Physical Culture’ to King George V of the United Kingdom.

Sandow emphasized muscle proportions and developed the Grecian Ideal to establish benchmarks for building a flowing and balanced physique. Besides bodybuilding, Sandow was a powerlifter and Strongman.

Related: Try This Legendary Eugen Sandow Workout Inspired By The Father Of Modern Bodybuilding

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Steve Reeves

Steve Reeves Stats

• Height: 6’1” (185.5 cm) 
• Weight: 215-225 pounds
• Chest: 52” 
• Waist: 29”
• Biceps: 18.5”

Reeves reached his bodybuilding career’s pinnacle at the bang end of the 1940s, which was when PEDs started gaining prominence. He won the Mr. America contest in 1947, the Mr. World in 1948, and the Mr. Universe in 1950. Reeves was the first bodybuilder to forge a successful career in Hollywood.

Reeves started lifting weights in high school after losing an arm wrestling match to a much smaller boy. However, his lifting journey was cut short as he was enrolled for WW2 and stationed in the Philippines and later Japan. 

Reeves started weight training after returning to the States in 1946. He won the Mr. America contest within one year and hung up his posing trunks a couple of years later to pursue films. There have been several allegations accusing Reeve of drug use. However, the bodybuilder-turned-actor has repeatedly denied these accusations.

Related: Steve Reeves Bodybuilding Workout

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Bobby Pandour

Bobby Pandour Stats

• Height: 5’6” (170.6 cm) 
• Weight: 160 pounds
• Chest: 42” 
• Biceps: 16-17”

Not much is known about Wladyslaw Kurcharczyk, aka Bobby Pandour, except that he had one of the best physiques of his era. He was born sometime in the late 1870s to early 1880s in Poland. The French magazine La Cultur Physique was his shot to fame.

Pandour was primarily a Strongman and traveled to the United States between 1907 and 1915. An injury abruptly ended his career. He was also a trained gymnast. 

Interestingly, Pandour was not a fan of weight training and relied on gymnastics to build and carve his muscles. However, he would occasionally go up and down the stairs with his brother, Ludwig, on his shoulder to develop his legs. 

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Al Treloar

Alfred Toof Jennings was born in 1874. He won America’s first large-scale physique show in 1904. A silent short film, “Treloar and Miss Marshall, Prize Winners at the Physical Culture Show in Madison Square Garden,” captures the competition. 

Trelor posed for the March 1904 cover of the Physical Culture magazine wearing leopard-print trunks. He also published a book “Treloar’s Science of Muscular Development: A Textbook of Physical Training” in 1904. Treloar demonstrates each exercise in this book. 

He served as the Director of the Los Angeles Athletics Club for 42 years, where he played a key role in coaching and nurturing several weightlifters and other athletes.

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Sig Klein

Sig Klein Stats

• Height: 5’4” (162.56 cm) 
• Weight: 152 pounds
• Chest: 44” 
• Waist: 32”
• Biceps: 16”

Born in 1902, Siegmund Klein was a German-American strongman, bodybuilder, and magazine publisher. He started weight training at the age of 12 and opened his own gym in New York in 1924. Klein was inducted into the IFBB Hall of Fame in 2006.

Klein was one of the most popular strength athletes of his era and routinely appeared on fitness magazine covers. Notably, Klein’s posing style was reminiscent of Eugen Sandow. 

Klein was one of the few leading strength sports athletes that preached weight training for aesthetics instead of focusing on lifting heavy to build strength. In his book “Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding,” Arnold Schwarzenegger described Klein as a pioneer in giving value to physique beyond strength alone.

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Alan Mead

The English bodybuilder was born toward the end of the 19th century. Mead started gaining popularity in 1920 because of his insane muscularity. Because of his peeled physique and muscle definition, he was dubbed the “human anatomy chart.”

Mead was known for his muscle control and was one of the best muscle performers of his era. Muscle control is the art of making your muscles move voluntarily. 

Notably, Mead had a leg amputated because of an injury sustained while fighting in World War 1. This is the reason you’ll always see Mead wearing track pants in all his photos. Many people believe it pushed him to master muscle control in his upper body. 

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Maxick

Maxick Stats

• Height: 5’7” (170.18 cm) 
• Weight: 198 pounds
• Chest: 40” 
• Waist: 32”
• Biceps: 15.5”

Born Max Sick in 1882, the German strongman and gymnast performed under the stage name — Maxick. He helped popularize muscle control, which was also later used by Mead. Maxick could make his muscles wave, jiggle, and roll to different music, which captivated audiences. 

Besides his ridiculously good muscle control, Maxick was incredibly strong. He could lift 322.5 pounds overhead while weighing 145 pounds.

Maxick developed the Maxalding system of bodybuilding, which used isometric holds to engage the muscles and develop a better mind-muscle connection. This was key to Maxick’s muscle control techniques. This technique was later picked up by Charles Atlas, who grew a successful business around it. 

What is Natural Bodybuilding?

Natural bodybuilding involves building a muscular, balanced, symmetrical, and shredded physique without using performance-enhancing drugs.

Although enhanced bodybuilders are usually much bigger and more diced than their natural counterparts, most of them claim a natty status. 

But why is that you ask?

Steroids are considered cheating by people who don’t use steroids or compete in drug-tested sports and organizations. Fans of natural athletes also dismiss juiced-up athletes to claim their favorite athlete’s dominance. 

Natural bodybuilding organizations conduct multiple drug tests throughout the year and might have unique guidelines on what their athletes can and cannot take. 

Differences Between Natural and Untested Bodybuilding

Genetics, hormone levels, age, gender, workout intensity, diet, recovery, and lifestyle can influence muscle and strength gains. 

Natural bodybuilders rely on their training and diet to build muscle, whereas enhanced bodybuilders can use anything under the sun to improve their physique aesthetics. 

That said, site-enhancement oils (SEO) such as Synthol are heavily discouraged in competitive bodybuilding. SEOs can temporarily inflate a muscle, enhancing its size and aesthetics. However, most athletes take it too far, and their injected muscles stick out like a sore thumb, which gets them scored down. Bodybuilders that show up to a contest with oils injected into their muscles are penalized and ultimately find themselves at the bottom of the rankings.

Enhanced bodybuilders use synthetic hormones that work like the male sex hormone, testosterone. These steroids help with the growth and repair of muscle tissue. PEDs can also significantly increase an athlete’s strength and help them recover faster from their workouts, increasing their training intensity and frequency, eventually leading to more gains. 

Some steroids can also improve a bodybuilder’s conditioning and definition, giving them a peeled look. To sum it up, if your goal is to improve your aesthetics, there is a steroid for it. 

Natural bodybuilders are generally smaller than their enhanced counterparts that use steroids or SARMS (Selective Androgen Receptor Modulators), as these can lead to significant structural changes in the human body. 

Natural Bodybuilding Organizations

Natural bodybuilding has witnessed tremendous growth over the last couple of decades. Several natty bodybuilding organizations promote multiple drug-tested competitions throughout the year. The most popular natural bodybuilding organizations include:

• International Natural Bodybuilding Association and Professional Natural Bodybuilding Association (INBA/PNBA)
• World Natural Bodybuilding Federation (WNBF)
• American Natural Bodybuilding Federation (ANBF)

Most natural bodybuilding organizations comply with the WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency) guidelines. It includes 10 years clean of prescription/pharmaceutical hormones on the WADA-banned substance list and two years free of over-the-counter hormones, pro-hormones, or banned substances listed or their chemical counterparts.

Each organization might follow slightly different rules. You must check the rules and ensure your medicines or drugs, if any, are free of these substances. Being careless can get you banned from competing in drug-tested bodybuilding organizations. What more? The INBA/PNBA has a “Hall of Shame” on their website where they humiliate bodybuilders that fail their drug tests. 

Natural bodybuilding federation can use blood, urine, and polygraph tests to check its athletes for drug use. These tests are done randomly throughout the year, and the organizations can take the blood samples of bodybuilders before a competition. 

Natural Bodybuilding Contests vs. IFBB Pro League

Most natural bodybuilding federations have the same divisions as the IFBB Pro League. Men’s divisions comprise the Open division, Men’s Physique, and Classic Physique. On the other hand, Women’s Open, Bikini, Physique, Fitness, and Wellness are the categories for the ladies.

Taking a page out of the IFBB Pro League’s book, the INBA/PNBA started the Natural Olympia contest in 1998, which awards the best natural bodybuilder in the world. However, the prize money at the Natural Olympia is nowhere close to the winner’s award at Joe Weider’s Mr. Olympia. 

The 2021 Natural Olympia winner took home a cheque of $65,000, whereas the 2022 Mr. Olympia winner Hadi Choopan pocketed $400,000. The chances of natural bodybuilding organizations catching up to the IFBB Pro League in terms of prize money are bleak at best. 

Advantages and Disadvantages of Natural Bodybuilding

Here are the pros and cons of natural bodybuilding:

Pros of Natural Bodybuilding

Staying natty entails the following benefits:

Longevity

Most people start lifting weights to improve their overall health and well-being. However, using steroids significantly hampers your longevity. Using PEDs and diuretics can lead to several health issues. Plus, most of these damages are irreversible. You must deal with them even if you stop using gear. 

Costs Less Than Untested Bodybuilding 

Quality PEDs don’t come cheap. Most enhanced bodybuilders use steroids daily, which can burn a hole in your wallet. On top of that, bodybuilding is an expensive sport. A healthy diet, gym membership, and supplements can cost a lot. Adding “super supplements” on top of it might not be feasible for everyone. 

Self-Image

Natural bodybuilders that are in great shape earn considerable respect from fellow lifters and bodybuilding fans. It can be motivation enough for most to stay natty. Most enhanced bodybuilders that lie about their natty status live a double life, which can cause stress and friction. 

Cons of Natural Bodybuilding

Here are the drawbacks of being a natty bodybuilder:

Hassle

Competitive natural bodybuilders must undergo multiple doping tests throughout the year. Plus, the appeal process is cumbersome if you get an incorrect report. The athletes must bear the costs of most of these tests, which can add up to a lot. 

Lack of Recognition

Natural bodybuilding competitions don’t get nearly the same fan attention or media coverage as untested bodybuilding shows. Natural bodybuilding is a cult within the bodybuilding community. 

Low Prize Money

You know what’s worse than a lack of recognition? Lack of money. Natural bodybuilding shows pay a fraction of what the IFBB Pro League-sanctioned contests pay as prize money. Furthermore, because of the lack of recognition, natty pro bodybuilders do not get lucrative sponsorship deals. In short, you could consider natural bodybuilding a hobby, whereas untested bodybuilding can pay your bills and then some more. 

Frustration

Muscle and strength progress can be slow for natural bodybuilders, which can cause a lot of frustration, especially when the natty bodybuilders see their enhanced counterparts balloon up in the same amount of time. 

9 Ways To Spot a Steroid User

Fake natties are all around us. Here are the nine best ways to tell a steroid user from a natural bodybuilder. One indication may arouse suspicions, but when you can identify two to three signs, it ceases to be mere suspicion and becomes more conclusive.

Rapid Muscle Gain and Weight Loss

Steroids can expedite your muscle and strength gains and fat loss progress. An individual that has transformed virtually overnight is probably on steroids. 

Hair Fall or Receding Hairline

Hair loss is one of the most common side effects of steroids. While men might experience a receding hairline, women might encounter facial hair growth. 

Body Hair

Steroids lead to excessive body hair because of hormones called androgens. Females that use steroids might also notice body hair growth. 

Acne

As steroids disturb your natural hormone balance, it can lead to acne. Back acne is one of the most common side effects of steroid use. However, you can also get acne on your face, limbs, and chest. 

Voice Change 

Steroids can cause the vocal cords to thicken, resulting in a deeper or more masculine voice. This side effect is more easily noticeable in women. 

Change in Body Structure

Testosterone and human growth hormone promotes hypertrophy and significantly change body composition. People notice broader shoulders and a slimmer waist from their very first cycle.

Gynecomastia

Gynecomastia, or gyno, is one of the most dreaded side effects of steroids in men. Steroids can cause swollen breast tissue in males. More advanced cases of gyno can only be fixed with surgery. 

Brings Up His Natty Status Too Often

Folks on steroids are usually insecure about their drug use. If a jacked bodybuilder boasts about his natty status too often, he is likely using performance-enhancing drugs.

Anxiety and Depression

Using gear can affect your mental health and lead to anxiety, depression, mood swings, and violent outbursts. The severity of these problems can vary depending on your dosages. 

Can You Become An Elite Pro Bodybuilder Without Steroids?

Many people believe you cannot join the IFBB Pro League if you are a natural bodybuilder. However, this is not the case. Many bodybuilders on this list are IFBB veterans, and some still compete in the IFBB Pro League. 

Furthermore, the eight-time Mr. Olympia champion Ronnie Coleman claims to have turned pro in the IFBB as a natural bodybuilder. He allegedly competed at the 1994 Mr. Olympia as a natty and secured a 15th-place finish, meaning he was the 15th best bodybuilder in the world in 1994 without using PEDs. 

On the women’s side, the three-time Bikini Olympia champ and the winningest IFBB Pro competitor, Ashley Kaltwasser, claims to be a lifelong natural bodybuilder. 

Genetics and hormone levels play a crucial role in your strength and muscle gains. Folks blessed with Greek god genetics can not only turn pro in the natural bodybuilding federations, but they can also join the upper echelons of the IFBB Pro League without using gear. 

Can a Natural Bodybuilder Win the IFBB Pro League Mr. Olympia?

This is taking things a little too far. Although natural bodybuilders can turn pro in the IFBB Pro League, winning the coveted Sandow trophy as a natty is next to impossible. Steroids such as testosterone, HGH (human growth hormone), Clenbuterol, and Trenbolone can structurally change a person’s physique and make them look much bigger and whittled than their natty counterparts. 

Who is the Biggest and the Best Natural Bodybuilder?

Competitive bodybuilding is a subjective sport. One individual might prefer a certain bodybuilder’s aesthetics, while the other might have him placing sixth out of a possible 10. Furthermore, the ‘biggest’ bodybuilder could mean different things. One could interpret ‘big’ as a bodybuilder’s weight, body proportions, height, or X-frame. 

In this discussion, we will regard body weight and the proportions of one’s physique as indicators of being considered ‘big.’ On the other end, picking the ‘best’ is relatively easy. The bodybuilder with the most titles can be considered the best. 

With that out of the way, Steve Reeves and Ron Williams are my picks for the best natural bodybuilders. While Reeves pioneered the golden aesthetics era, Williams is the winningest natural bodybuilder ever. Both bodybuilders weighed north of 200 pounds. 

Next Read: The Ultimate Guide To Natural Bodybuilding: Best Training and Diet Tips

12-Week Natural Bodybuilding Program

Learning about the best natural bodybuilders probably has you fired up to work on your physique. However, finding or designing an effective training regimen can be difficult and intimidating, and it is among the main reasons most people put off starting a fitness regimen. 

Given below is a 12-week five-days-a-week beginner-friendly workout program that will help you build muscle mass and strength. 

Day 1: Legs

Exercise	Sets	Reps	Rest
Barbell Squat	3-5	8-12	60-120 seconds
Walking Lunge	3-5	8-12	60-120 seconds
Leg Press	3-5	8-12	60-120 seconds
Leg Extension	3-5	8-12	60-120 seconds
Romanian Deadlift	3-5	8-12	60-120 seconds
Standing Calf Raise	3-5	8-12	60-120 seconds

Day 2: Chest

Exercise	Sets	Reps	Rest
Incline Barbell Bench Press	3-5	8-12	60-120 seconds
Bench Press	3-5	8-12	60-120 seconds
Flat Dumbbell Fly	3-5	8-12	60-120 seconds
Machine Chest Press	3-5	8-12	60-120 seconds
Pec Deck Fly	3-5	8-12	60-120 seconds

Day 3: Arms

Exercise	Sets	Reps	Rest
Barbell Curl	3-5	8-12	60-120 seconds
Dumbbell Hammer Curl	3-5	8-12	60-120 seconds
Machine Preacher Curl	3-5	8-12	60-120 seconds
Cable Triceps Pushdown	3-5	8-12	60-120 seconds
Dumbbell Kickback	3-5	8-12	60-120 seconds
Overhead Single-Arm Dumbbell Extension	3-5	8-12	60-120 seconds

Day 4 & 7: Rest

Day 5: Back

Exercise	Sets	Reps	Rest
Barbell Deadlift	3-5	8-12	60-120 seconds
Bent-Over Barbell Row	3-5	8-12	60-120 seconds
Lat Pulldown	3-5	8-12	60-120 seconds
Single-Arm Dumbbell Row	3-5	8-12	60-120 seconds
Dumbbell Pullover	3-5	8-12	60-120 seconds

Day 6: Shoulders

Exercise	Sets	Reps	Rest
Military Press	3-5	8-12	60-120 seconds
Dumbbell Side Lateral Raise	3-5	8-12	60-120 seconds
Dumbbell Front Raise	3-5	8-12	60-120 seconds
Machine Shoulder Press	3-5	8-12	60-120 seconds
Barbell Shrug	3-5	8-12	60-120 seconds

Wrapping Up

Everyone starts as a natural bodybuilder, but the allure of enhanced and expedited results often tempts many towards the shadowy realm of steroids. Although enhanced bodybuilders are usually much bigger, diced, and stronger than the natties, natural bodybuilders garner a different level of respect and are much healthier. 

This article lists the best natural bodybuilders from every era since the late 1890s. Picking natural athletes can be a tall order, especially since athletes have gotten very good at gaming the system. Nonetheless, who do you think is not natty on this list? Let us know in the comments below.

Featured and other images courtesy of Athletes’ Instagram.

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